Indicating filling plug for storage-battery cells



Feb w. 1925.

F. A. FELDKAMP INDICATING FILLING PLUG FOR STORAGE BATTERY CELLS Filed Feb. 14, 1921 7 A TTOR/l/E YS L mms Stiite of New ersey,

Patented Feb. l0, 192.5.

UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. FELDKAMP, OF NEWARK, `NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO THOMAS J. COBCORAN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

INDICATING FILLING PLUG FOR STORAGE-BATTERY CELLS.

Application filed February 14, 1921.

To @ZZ whom t may con-cern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK KAMP, 3.

A. FELD- ing at Newark in the county of Essex and new and clear, an

have invented certain useful Improvements in Indicating Filling Plugs for Storage-Battery Cells; and

do hereby declare the following to be a f ull, d exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the sa me,

reference being had to the accompany-4 and to characters of reference which forni a part of this specification.

The p to impro and has type of lighting biles.

resent invention relates, generally, vements in electric storage-batteries, reference more particularly to that electric storage-battery used with and stai-ting systems for automot is well known that the storage cells of storage-batteries are required to. be filled with distilled water trolyte a to maintain the elect such a level therein that the electrodes or plates are entirely submerged. If the level of the electrolyte falls so as to expose a battery manufacturers electrolyte level is maintained 1n` i that the lil() thescre'w plug or cap,

each cell to an extent one-quai* trodes or plates.

portion of the electrodes or plates the electrodes is set soon ruins the batt-hat users see to it or depth of at least ter inch above the tops of the elec- Storage-bat-tery cells,

heretofore constructed, are usually provided with illing openings closed by a screw plug or cap.

for each cell normally In order to ascertain the level of electrolyte in any given cell it y is necessary to unscrew and remove and then the depth YVof the electrolyte may be ascertained by inspection measuring 'rod i or electrodes and trial, as by insertion of a thereinto, and if the plates are in danger of exposure, then additional distilled water must be poured into the cell, and the measuring rod again employed to assure the user that the electrolyte has It is level. not only crude, is quite been brought up to the necessary evidentA that such procedure is annoying, but time consuming` and not to mention the fact that the user likely to soil his fingers with the accompanying drawings,

serial No. 444,934.

sulphuric acid solution forming the electrolyte in handling the location of the battery in the ensemble of the automobile is such that it is difficult to get at the same for refilling or for testing the depth of electrolyte therein, and necessity for removal and replacement of the closure 'plugs or caps is an added inconvenience and annoyance. It is, ject of the present invention to provide a novel construction of plug or cap for insertion in the fillingopenings of storage-battery cells, which is adapted not only to provide a means for filling the cells without necessity of removing the plug or cap, but

also to serve as an external visible and instant indicator of the level of the electrolyte within each cell, while at the same time said novel construction of plug or cap is also adapted to prevent outward splashing or spilling of the electrolyte from the cells and to provide a vent means to allow the escape of gases from within the cell, as the same are generated by the action of the electrodes.

A further object. of the invention is to provide an indicating filling plug or cap which indicates at once when enough distilled Water has been poured into the cell to bring the electrolyte to proper required level for the eiicient operation and protection of the battery.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the. following detailed description of the same. l

With the various objects of the invention in view the same consists, primarily, in the novel construction indicating filling plug or cap for storage-battery cells hereinafter'setforth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as well as in the details of the construction of said parts, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described in the following specification and then finally embodied in the claim appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the in which Figure 1 `is a perspective view of a storagebattery, thecells of which are equipped Withthe novel indicating filling plug or cap made according to and embodying the principles of the present invention.

therefore, the ob- Figure 2 is a. top or plan view of my novel construction of 1ndicating filling plug or cap, the same being drawn on an enlarged scale; Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectlon of the same, taken on line 3 3 in said Figure 2; Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on line 4 4 in said Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of the same, showing la slightly modified construction thereof.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character l indicates any suitable construction of secondary or storage-battery, the same having a pluralityv of cells 2 containing the usual electrodes or plates 3, and the electrolyte solution 4 in which said plates or electrodes 3 are to be maintained submerged. Each cell is provided with an internally screw-threaded opening 5 to receive the attachment of the novel indicating filling plug or cap which comprises the present invention.

Each indicating filling plug or cap is made of a suitable 'insulating material, referably such as hard rubber or bakelite; although it may also be made of porcelain, glass or some such insulating material which is capable of resisting the attack of the acid-electrolyte. The said novel indicating filling plug or cap consists of a tubular main body 6, open at its lower end, and providing a vertical interior chamber or passage 7. Integrally connected with the upper end of said main body 6 is a head 8. of lenlarged diameter, the external sides of which are preferably fluted as at 9, or otherwise roughened to provide a nonslipping gripping surface to be engaged by the fingers when attaching the filling plugs or caps to the battery. Formed in the upper end of said head 8 is a downwardly extending filling cup or funnel chamber 10. The upper end of said interior chamber or pas- Sage 7 is close by the lower portion of the head 8, which thus provides a partition 11 intermediate the said chamber or passage 7 and 'said filling cup or funnel chamber 10. Centrally disposed in said partition 11, at the bottom of said filling cup or funnel chamber 10, is a communicating filling passage or opening 12 which,A leads downwardly into the upper endI of said chamber or passage 7 of said main body 6.

The reference character 13 denotes an indicator oat. This indicator float comprises an air-tight hollow body or bulb made of Celluloid, glass or some suitable material not subject to attack by the acid electrolyte, the same having at its upper end an upwardly projecting lndicator stem 14 of greatly reduced diameter; said stem forming either an integral or an attached part of said hol- 'downwardly low body or bulb. ySaid indicator float is isposed for vertical movement within the interior chamber or passage 7 of said main body 6'of the plug or cap with its stem 14 projecting through said lling passage or openln 12 upwardly into the interior of said fil ing cup or 'funnel chamber 10 so as to be exposed in Visible position therein. Connected with the walls of said passa e or chamber 7, so as to project inwardly rom the inner side thereof, are a plurality of vertical longitudinal guide ribs 15, the same being spaced equally one from another. Said guide ribs 15 maintain the indicator fioat 13 centralized as to-its vertical movement within said chamber or passage 7, and fend the same from frictional contact with the `'sides of said chamber or passage 7 tending to interfere with the free vertical movements of the same within said chamber or passage 7. In order to prevent outward displacement of said indicator float 13 through the lower open end of said main body 6, and to limit the downward movement to likewise prevent complete downward withdrawal of the stem 14 through the filling opening or passage 12', resulting in a disorganizing of the operative relation of the indicator iioat to the plug or cap, there is provided a transverse stop pin or bar 16 which passes through the walls and across the passage or chamber 7 of the main body 6 at the lower end of the latter.

Said main body 6 is provided at its upper end, adjacent to said head 8, with external screw-threads 17, so that when said main body 6 is thrust downwardly through the opening 5 of a battery cell, said threads 17 ma be screwed into the internal thread of sai opening 5 to thus secure the plug or cap in attached o erative relation to said bat.- tery cell. en properly' associated with a battery cell the main body 6 of the plug or cap depends from the upper wall of the cell so that its lower open end extends into the electrolyte contained therein, and in which the plates or elecvtrodes of the cell are submerged. The electrolyte solution, when at proper level within the cell, enters the chamber or passage 7 through the open lower end of the main body 6, and engaging the indicator float 13 buoys up the same. tending to cause the same to rise upwardly within the chamber or passage 7, so that its stem 14 is upwardly projected through the filling opening 12 to project upwardly through the filling cup or funnel chamber 10. lVhen the said stem 14 is thus u wardly projected to full extent within the lling cup or funnel chamber it serves ias a visible indicator denoting that the cell is sufficiently filled with electrolyte to properly cover the plates or electrodes therein, and lthat the said battery cell. is inproper working condition. In order to as-` sure the equalization of the level of the electrolyte, both within and exteriorly of the main body 6, the walls of the latter are provided at one side with a longitudinal slot or opening 18 extending from a point immediately below the threads toward the bottom end of said main body. This slot 18, the upper end of which is exposed above the normal surface level of the electrolyte, serves as an escape vent or passage for gases generated by the electrodes in the solution, so that said gas may pass from the upper end of the cell chamber through said slot into the upper end of the chamlber or passage 7. In order to provide free vent passages communicating with the atmosphere, whereby the gases thus passing into the chamber or passage 7 may be freely discharged therefrom at all times, regardless of the position of the indicator float 13 (i. e., whether the latter is in fully raised position or not), there is provided in the under side of the partition 11 one or more transverse open ducts or channels 19 leading toward the periphery of the filling ope-ning or passage v12. These open ducts or channels 19 communicate with corresponding vertical discharge ducts or channels 2O indented in the periphery of said filling opening or passage 12. It will be apparent that even when the indicator float 13 is fully raised, and engaged against the lower end of said filling opening or passage 12 so as to close the same, the gases to be vented will be permitted free escape or dischiarge through the inducted disch-arge ducts or channels 20. c

Referring now to Figure 5 of the draw-v ings, there is shown therein a slightly modified construction of the novel indicating filling plug or cap embodying the principles of the present invention, in the construction of which there is substituted for the gas vent slot 18, one or more perforations 21 located in the walls of the main body 6 at a point above the normal. level at which the electrolyte. solution is to be maintained. As is also indicated in said Figure 5,.the guideribs 15 may be omitted from the walls of the main body 6 if desired.

From the above detailed vdescription of the present invention it will be understood that in the event the proper normal level of electrolyte solution, by reason of evaporation or from other causes, is lowered within the cell, the indicator float 13 Will descend or drop within the chamber or passage 7, so that the stem 14: .is downwardly withdrawn or lowered in the filling cup or funnel chamber 10. A glance into the filling cup or funnel chamber 10 is suiiicient to disclose the changed position of said stem 14:, and consequently at once warns the user to refill the cell with distilled water to increase the volume of electrolyte and thus raise the level of the same to the proper condition, thus obviating all necessity of removing the plug o-r cap and testing the. depth of the electrolyte by the insertion into the cell of a measuring rod or other testing means. When it appears from an inspection of the stem 14 ot' .indicator float 13, that a given cell needs replenishing with distilled water, it is unnecessary to remove the plug or cap, since the same serves as a filling means in addition to its other functions. To renew the supply of distilled Water all that it is necessary to do is to pour the water into the fillingcup or funnel chamber 10, whereby the water is guided to flow downwardly through the filling opening or passage 12, and thence through the plug or cap chamber 7 into the cell chamber. water is thus introduced into the cell, the indicator float rises as the same is buoyed up by the rising level of the electrolyte, so that the stem 14: likewise rises in the filling cup or funnel chamber 10 until the same,- arrives at its complete upwardly projected position, thus showing at a glance, vwithout requirement of either test o-r guess work, when enough water has been added to the electrolyte. From the above it will be clear, that not only does the plug offer a great convenience as an indicator of the condition of the cell with respect to the electrolyte content thereof, butv also provides an equally important convenience as a filling means for guiding the Water for ent-rance into the cell, without necessity for removing the plug or cap. lttherefore follows that not only convenience is served, but also time and trouble is saved in both assuring the condition of the cell and in bringing the cell back to normal condition when necessary. Since in a battery containing a plurality of cells, each cell is equipped with one of the novel indicating filling plugs or caps, the relative condition' of the several cells is indica-ted at a glance without necessity for tedious tests, or time consuming manipulations of testing devices, either of a mechanic-al or of an electrical nature. lnaddition to the advantages above mentioned, the novel'plug or cap fullls the func-tion of preventing escape of the electrolyte by outward splashing from the cell interior in the same manner as do the ordinary closing plugs or caps heretofore employed.

l am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as

As the supply of well as in the details of the construction do I confine myself to the exact details of VVtension, a slot in the side of said tubular the construction of said parts as illustrated extension leading transversely from the inin the accompanying drawings. terior of said battery cell into the interior I claim of said extension, and a fioat longitudinally 5 The combination with a. closure plug for movable in the interior of said extension, 20

storage batteries of a shank portion having said fioat having a stem for projection upmeans for detachably engaging the same in Wardly through said restricted opening into the top Wall of a battery cell, an integral the funnel depression 0f Said plug. tubular extension of reduced diameter de- In testimony, that I claim the invention 10 pending from the inner end of said shank set forth above I have hereunto set my hand 25 so as to penetrate the fiuid content ofsaid this 11th day of February, 1921.

battery cell, said plug having funnel de- FREDERICK A. FELDKAMP. pression in its exterior end provided in its Wltnesses: f lbottom with a restricted opening communi- FREDK. C. FnAEN'rzEL,

15 cating with the interior of said tubular ex- FNA E. DEsCH. 

